[chirp_users] Mac user - inconsistent ability to contact radio

[Jim Unroe]

More often than not, if the radio transmits when the programming cable
is plugged in, the programming has a conterfeit Prolific type
USB-to-TTL chip and an incompatible driver is installed. Many think
they can avoid this by purchasing the "genuine" Baofeng labeled
programming cable. Not so. It is made with same counterfeit chip as
the generic cables are. From what I have seen in the last 3.5 years,
this is the #1 cause of problems for Baofeng radios users. One of the
most common indicators of an incompatible driver is that the radio
will transmit when the programming cable is plugged in.

This issue can usually be corrected by one or more of the following...

- Windows users can download, install and select the older v3.2.0.0
Prolific driver.
- Mac OS X users can install a generic driver or purchase a 3rd party driver
- Use Linux or the CHIRP Live CD
- Replace the programming cable with one having the FTDI chip
- Modify the programming cable so it has a CP2102 chip or FTDI chip

If you can't solve the transmitting problem with one of the above
solutions, Baofeng users (and most likely others) can at least program
a channel that has TX disabled and then select it when the radio is
being programmed.

The #2 most common problem that I have seen is not getting the
programming cable fully plugged into the radio's socket. Interference
between the plugs plastic shell and the case if the most common cause.
Trimming the plug's shell can reduce this interference. There are
other causes of this as well. Variations in length of the pins on the
cheaper cables. Variations of the location of the socket inside the
case of the cheaper radios. And sometimes it is the user just failed
to push the plug in all the way.

Jim KC9HI

On Thu, Oct 29, 2015 at 9:57 AM, Drew from Zhrodague
<drewzhrodague at zhrodague.net> wrote:
>         I have three sub-generic USB programming cables for my Baofeng. Two of
> three operate in this way, where I have to try to program the (turned
> off) radio first, and then turn on the radio. I believe this is due to
> the ultra-crappiness of the cables.
>
>         The one cable that doesn't do this, I can program normally, and it
> operates like it should (does not open TX when plugging in the cable).
>
>         Luckily, we don't need to program our radios constantly. This is just a
> minor annoyance.
>
>         (chirp + osx + baofeng)
>
>
>
> On 10/29/15 8:25 AM, Paul Slootweg wrote:
>> OK, after some more playing around, I think in my case the problem is
>> indeed mechanical.
>>
>> I have 2 cables. The one that came with the radio and a Baofeng
>> branded one I bought when I couldn't get the first one to work with
>> the Mac.
>>
>> I now think the original issue was not having the right Prolific chip
>> drivers, but as I then changed the cable as well, *that* became the
>> problem.
>>
>> Going back to my original cable, and it works every time. (Except
>> after first plugging in - seems that until Chirp has tried to
>> communicate the ports are in the wrong configuration, and it opens up
>> the mic.)
>>
>> So my - so far - way of working is:
>>
>> Plug cable into USB
>> Launch Chirp
>> Try to download - this will fail
>> Plug cable into radio (while it is off) and then turn radio on
>> Now download (or upload, I guess - not tried yet) seems to work fine.
>
>
> --
>
> Drew from Zhrodague
> post-apocalyptic ad-hoc industrialist
> drew at zhrodague.net
> _______________________________________________
> chirp_users mailing list
> chirp_users at intrepid.danplanet.com
> http://intrepid.danplanet.com/mailman/listinfo/chirp_users
> To unsubscribe, send an email to chirp_users-unsubscribe at intrepid.danplanet.com